Boy and Man re written

Cherry

By EB

Fri, 11 Sep 2015
  • 2269 reads
15 comments
 

The endless wailing cut

him off - unmoved 

he accepted tears as weak;

as something they did.



From day dot he learned to blot

out hysteria, and though he tried

to mask past trauma,

wrists still bled, flared crimson. 



Even remembered blood stuck. 

But somewhere on life's road

he'd found the power to override

emotion - his and others.



No use reasoning

with the unreasonable -

a philosophy that had served

him well - till now...



The past returns

to hound and taunt - cruel -

it haunts you from the shadows

of mad love.



He sometimes wonders if,

just maybe,

she'd had something to say,

but no one ever heard. 

Certificate 15
Poem
Unclassified

Comments

Submitted by VeraClark on

I like how candid this is, that it delivers deep-rooted trauma without need of explanation. Such careful language.

 

Submitted by EB on

Apologies for such late replies, but many thanks and big appreciation for your more than kind comments Vera.

Submitted by scratch on

Fab poem.  Concise but overflowing.  I love it.

 

Submitted by EB on

Thank you very much.

Submitted by Weefatfella on

Vivid and concise images with well chosen and emotive language.

(as something they did.) To me the victims.

I get the feeling this is about a Sociopath.

I also wonder... Who is she?

Weefatfella.

 

 

I might not like what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

Submitted by EB on

Hi Weefatfella.

Thanks for your thoughts on this which are more than helpful.

Submitted by loquaciousicity on

Perhaps that's always true...

something to say... but no one ever hears... 

Nice poem!!!

Submitted by EB on

Thanks Terry.

Submitted by Bee on

I'm guessing that as this started from day dot 'she' was his mother he leant to ignore hysteria-wise. 

Bee

Submitted by EB on

Yes his mother. Thanks Bee.

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

I thought the 'from day dot' line was particularly effective, the staccato effect mirroring the blunted emotions.  And the last stanza holds so much sorrow.  Great piece. 

Submitted by EB on

Thanks airyfairy. Glad you thought so. 

Submitted by blackjack-davey on

great and harrowing childhood account, all the more chilling for its calm unemotional tone like the baby ruling emotion out (and on the way to becoming a psychopath) because it is irrational .In the hysteria a mother's unheard and legitimate grievance

 

Submitted by EB on

Hi blackjack-davey. Reading and comments much appreciated.

Submitted by EB on

Thanks editors for the cherries.